Pornography, today it’s everywhere and easier to access than ever before— you can see anything you want with one click. But there was a time when adult entertainment only came in print form, had to be more discreet, and was heavily influenced by trends of the time. Since print pornography first became mainstream in the 1950s, many societal norms have changed, including beauty and fashion trends, ideal attractiveness, cultural shifts, and sexual norms. You may not think of these kinds of things outright when you’re looking at it, but your subconscious could be. This is because all of these topics can play into what an individual finds attractive and what influences them in and out of the bedroom.
1950 -1959: Pornography and pinup come out of the shadows
As soldiers were coming home from war, an anti-porn movement was sweeping the nation. This came to a head with The Gatherings Committee, a group of politicians within the United States House of Representatives who felt that pornography was immoral and advocated for it to be banned from distribution. They felt that popular “girlie” magazines and pulp fiction novels at the time, such as Woman’s Barracks, caused moral indecency and influenced young men to commit rape – a claim that has been proven false. They also felt the publications were “filled with sordid, filthy statements based upon sexual deviations and perversions.” However, when Playboy Magazine released its first issue in 1953 to major success, it was clear that sexual fantasy overcame any type of moral panic.
Models in the 50s didn’t reveal as much of themselves as many do today. Most photos that were considered “pornographic” at the time normally featured a pin-up model, in lingerie made up of fishnets or stockings and a slightly pointed bra or bralette. It is curious to note though, that no genitalia was explicitly in these photos, only implied. This could be because society saw a woman being fully naked in front of a man that was not her husband to be completely unacceptable. Instead, the models would commonly have their arms or legs extended in photos. By doing so, more skin was shown without showing their private parts.
Many women looked at famous actresses of the time such as Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and, of course, Marylin Monroe, as the epitome of beauty. Clothing was all about creating the illusion of a small waist and bulging busts while covering everything below the shoulders under floral prints and bright-colored dresses. This made smaller waistlines with curvier hips the ideal female figure. Blonde or brown hair with ivory skin, paired with barrel curls, red lipstick, and heels, was also a must. With pin-up models such as Bettie Page and Joanne Arnold embracing their thigh-high stockings, corsets, undergarments that hugged their bodies, and signature red lips–it gave women an idea of what men found sexy and piqued their interest in wearing the same thing to attract men, leaving the overall vibe of sexuality in the 50s as a soft, coquettish woman with overt sexual confidence.
1960 – 1969: Female sexuality booms
In the 1960s, society saw a complete flip in views on female sexuality. With “The Pill” becoming available in 1960, women were able to take control of their bodies and enter the workforce – and bedrooms – as never before.
With this new freedom, there was also a new idea coming to light—the idea that women enjoyed sex just as much as men, and with help from the Pill, women were ready to come forward and embrace their sexuality without the fear of becoming pregnant. This became a core element in the sexual revolution throughout the 60s. For many women, the Pill made them feel empowered. As a result, pornography, as well as female sexuality in general, was certainly influenced by it. Hugh Heffner’s expansion of Playboy as a brand also took hold at this time with the birth of the Playboy bunny and Playboy clubs. The clubs arguably promoted submissive female sexuality by having the waitresses wear nothing but a leotard, heels, and bunny ears, showing off much of their bodies.
Models such as Twiggy made being super skinny with bold eyeliner, long eyelashes, and shorter hairstyles popular for most of the 60s. All of this was reflected in porn. Almost every model was rail thin with slightly curvy hips, flaunted heavy eyeliner, and long lashes, with hair that didn’t surpass their shoulders. Fashion has always been one to push the envelope of cultural norms and with this liberation came new ideas of how a sexy woman should look. If one were to look on the cover of a men’s magazine in the 60s, they would most likely see a model wearing a colorful or white bra and underwear, making these garments an extension of sexuality, rather than something you wear underneath your clothes.
Playboy in particular focused on their mascot when it came to many of their early covers. When Hugh Heffner was asked why he chose a rabbit as the symbol of Playboy, he said, “I chose it because it’s a fresh animal, shy, vivacious, jumping – sexy. … A girl looks a lot like a bunny, playful and joking.” By building his brand around this, bunnies became associated with being sexy as well as ideas of being playful and teasing. This teasing-ness flowed over into how the models looked in the magazine.
Like the 50s, models in pornography were more so teasing their viewers than anything else. The poses had become more provocative and while less skin was covered, most of it remained obscured. More often than not, a model would be in her bra and underwear in a suggestive pose or covering herself with her hands or, seemingly nude but turned away from the camera while looking back at it. This could imply that there had been a big shift in what was considered appropriate to show but there was still some reservation.
1970 – 1979: The sexual revolution sweeps the nation
By the 70s, social norms about sexuality were changing. Between the sexual revolution, the women’s liberation movement, and the first women’s liberation conference taking place, sex was becoming more openly discussed and accepted.
A new idea in feminist theory had solidified by this decade: the female gaze. A counterpart to the male gaze, the concept that women are depicted in film, literature, and art, purely as sexual objects for the pleasure of heterosexual men; the female gaze refers to that same principle but applies to female pleasure. Some argue that the female gaze does not exist but you can certainly see its principles present in pornography. A case in point was the release of Playgirl magazine in 1973. Editor-in-Chief and Founder Martin Scott Milam felt the magazine went far beyond displaying sexy men for a woman’s pleasure. He once defined a “playgirl” as an “independent, self-confident, aware, involved, adventurous, daring, curious, vital, ambitious, sensuous, loving, giving, alive, liberated and free woman”. The monthly magazine was marketed to women and featured nude and semi-nude men as well as articles surrounding lifestyle trends of the time and entertainment news. It was also popular among gay men. Playgirl Magazine and magazines of the like tried to separate themselves further by making their cover photos look more artistic by incorporating dark lighting and shadows and featuring articles from pioneering feminist icons of the time such as Maya Angelou, Gloria Steinem, and Joyce Carol Oates. Because the female gaze is usually applied to art, journals and film, it is no surprise that Milam took a more artistic approach when advertising these types of magazines to women.
Unlike prior decades, direct references and ideas about sexuality also made it into mainstream media and music. From TV shows like Bob & Carol & Dave & Alice to chart-topping songs like “The Pill” by Lorretta Lynn, sexual confidence was oozing everywhere. The era of free love had arrived, people were challenging traditional sexual behaviors like never before and pornographic magazines took advantage of it.
For the first time, we regularly saw models fully exposed, mostly sprawled out on a couch or on all-fours. The way many models were posing at this time could be thought of as a symbol of sexual liberation. A pose that says, “Here I am, finally in all of my womanly glory, take it all in.” Men who were featured in Playgirl, on the other hand, were often featured with their shirt off but still reserved, and tease-y in nature, much like female models in the 50s and 60s. More often than not, a male model would have defined muscles, a hairy chest, and was clean-shaven or had a bushy mustache. The male model was also likely accompanied by long brown hair. All of this mirrored the looks of popular actors at the time, such as John Travolta, David Cassidy, or Burt Reynolds. Sometimes a celebrity was the model in the picture. In photos, most of the men covered their lower half with a pair of shorts that outlined their genitals, hid behind a towel, or posed with an object or animal in front of their dicks.
Having a sexually driven publication marketed to women was a new concept and these photos come across as testing the waters. Society was still playing with the idea that it’s perfectly natural for women to have the same sexual impulses and desires as men. These publications are still trying to figure out what women find sexy, so they decide to start slow. Additionally, publications are also trying to figure out what is or isn’t too much to show women.
Rarely would you see a penis out on full display, but when you did, it was peeking out of the model’s shorts and was flaccid. When it came to posing, the photographer would have the model standing and leaning against something with their hands on their lower hips, or sitting upright. Both poses featured men with their shirts off. Because publishers and photographers were still trying to define what was sexy to women, they drew inspiration from male fashion trends of the day, instead of creating their own, fashionable path.
Their shorts were most likely denim or outlandishly colored Broderick shorts. Broderick shorts were commonly used as gym shorts and were considered the most revealing type of clothing men could wear at the time, which is most likely why they were used.
The au natural look was in vogue for both men and women. Not just in makeup trends but also in terms of hair—lots of hair. Most women in the 70s had long hair, and with it, unkempt pubic hair. This was about a decade before the bikini was and Brazilian wax became the norm in porn, beaches, and college dormitories. It was clear that in this era, women were ready to reveal everything. However, you couldn’t say the same for men. Sure, most men had facial hair in the 70s, but their pubes were still somewhat of a mystery. Because most male models were covered from the waist down, not much, if any pubic hair was seen., but when it was, the model would have their pants slightly pulled down in the front, showing the area below the abdomen where their pubic hair started to grow. If a female model was wearing anything in the photos, it was most likely white go-go boots, making their legs appear longer, paired with a short skirt, which was inadvertently promoted by singer Nancy Sinatra, making the look desirable for young women of the time.
A tan, athletic and slim build was the sought-after body type among both sexes in this decade. While large breasts were not considered a must-have on women in everyday society, it was the exact opposite in pornography geared toward men. Photos invariably featured the model’s fully exposed, C-cup minimum, breasts. Because completely nude photos were becoming the norm, it’s no surprise that photographers would want to focus the most on a sexual part that only women have, one which had very rarely been shown in their entirety previously. The VCR also turned the world of pornography upside down. Now, you could rent or buy adult movies to watch on your own time and in the privacy of your own home. Some print publications also started selling mail subscriptions. Milestones in diversity also occurred when Darine Stern became the first African American woman to grace the cover of a men’s magazine solo in 1971. If there is any decade on this list that has done the most for pro-sexual progression in the world, it is the 1970s.
1980-1989: The definition of sexuality changes
In the 80s, male sexuality was looked at differently than any other before it, in part due to the discovery of HIV/AIDS. When it was first discovered, AIDS was associated with being gay because the disease is easily passed through engaging in unprotected anal sex. This fear was certainly reflected in pornography targeted towards women. Throughout most of the 80s, Playgirl covers often featured photos of women or men and women together. On the inside, men were likely sitting up or laying down with no shirt on and looking straight into the camera, with the focus being on their faces. You could still see naked men in this publication but often their legs would be crossed or, like the 70s, with flaccid cocks. This could suggest that publications were wanting to take a step back from promoting male sexuality to seem like they were not attributing to the epidemic by distributing material that could be attractive to gay men.
Despite the issues surrounding the AIDS epidemic, attitudes toward pornography and female sexuality as a whole saw little change in the 1980s. The sexual revolution was over and while models’ poses and levels of skin exposure had not changed much, their look sure did. Done were the days of the dewy and natural look. Big hair, bright lipstick, and loud, colorful eyeshadow and blush had arrived, and porn stars reveled in it. Madonna ruled the 80s, after her performance of Like a Virgin in 1984 she was catapulted into superstardom and transformed into a sexual, cultural, and fashion icon. All-female models from then on had huge, crimped dos with bold makeup. Some photographers even dressed their models in a couple of Madonna’s signature accessories such as long pearls and tutus. Many also embraced extremely revealing lingerie that did not hide anything. Feminist porn also started to take off during this time.
Both male and female gaze in this decade focused on body image. ‘Hardbodies’ were in; with the toned, strong, and slim becoming the preferable look among women, and chiseled, excessively muscular, and masculine bodies were considered sexy among men. For women, this is most likely due to the rise in popularity of at-home exercise videos, dieting, and the jazzercise craze. In addition to diet and exercise, men were becoming more and more muscular due to the rise in popularity of steroids and the founding of the World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE) network.
Actors of the time such as Sylvester Stallone– tall, dark, and handsome with his short, black hair and body-builder physique had many look-alikes in women’s magazines. Stallone himself was on the cover of Playgirl in July 1981 and actually modeled in the October 1985 edition where the cover said ‘Inside Stallone (Rambo) nude!’ Between Stallone’s heart throbbing looks and the wrestlers of WWE, by the middle of the decade, it was clear that women found ultimate masculinity traits to be the most attractive when looking at men. In the era of slim fashion models such as Cindy Crawford or Naomi Campbell, pornographic models felt they had to compete. In fact, 60 percent of Playboy models in the 80s weighed 15 percent less than their average healthy weight for their size. This arguably kicked off the rise in anorexia in Hollywood that persisted into the 90s.
Something else that had changed from the 70s was pubic hair trends among men and women, as well as facial hair trends among men. In the 80s, most models were clean-shaven or had minimal facial hair. models, male and female, had themselves trimmed or had no pubic hair at all. This is most likely attributed to bikini bottoms becoming smaller than ever and banana hammocks and speedos becoming the preferred swimwear for men. Both types allowed areas of the body in men and women to be revealed like never before and were featured widely in pornography, making them sexy among everyday people.
The banana hammocks and speedos highlighted the size of a man’s genitalia. Most were also very colorful which drew people’s eyes directly to their….ahem…..packages. High-waisted bikini bottoms made women’s legs look longer and covered less of their asses. This sparked a desire for men and women to keep all areas where body hair could grow, clean. It was seen as unfit to have unkept anything in the 80s. Every facet of the human body had to be tight and trim to the extreme. By the end of the decade, Brazilian and full body waxes were considered normal both in the industry and the general public.
Playgirl also began showing something that had been taboo for them up until that point – fully erect penises! As Esquire wrote in 2017, “in Playgirl‘s introductory issue, most of the models were modestly posed, with hints of pubic hair showing and nude shots from behind. The magazine quickly grew more comfortable with full-frontal nudity, but the question of whether to show an actual erection was…well, a hard one.”
Neil Feinman (special editions editor, 1979–83) recalls a heated discussion in 1979 at his first meeting with the editors. “There was this huge argument about whether models should have hard-ons. We were in a restaurant and I’m sitting there with all of these women, three martinis into it, listening to them fight. I remember the waiter looking at me like, ‘What the hell is going on here?”’I said, ‘It’s my first day at work. I have no idea. And I’m mortified.’”
Playgirl soon embraced images of hard, often longer-than-average cocks.
The early 1980s saw the culmination of what Playboy publisher Hugh Heffner termed “The Pubic Wars,” in which competitors Penthouse and Hustler magazines began showing what was behind the pubic hair – “pink” as it was called – resulting in Playboy positioning itself as the less explicit alternative.
The 1980s also saw the birth of early online pornography in the form of bulletin board systems, a computer server-running software program that allowed users to connect. At this time, the bulletin boards were not regulated, and so anything and everything could be talked about—including pornography. The 80s was an interesting decade for sexuality to say the least, but it also be the last decade before a new pornography market was born and changed the porn industry forever.
1990-1999: Pornography meets technology
After the invention of the World Wide Web in 1989, people soon realized they could find pornography online, often for free, without leaving their homes. The porn industry took notice almost immediately. Unlike mediums of the past, online pornography offered more stimulating content and action in real-time by combining visuals, audio, text, and file transfers. By 1995, free pornography sites were shut down but this was hardly a crushing blow to the industry.
Male-targeted pornography websites such as Amateur Hardcore and Sizzle stayed active and while they required payment, viewers didn’t mind paying for it. In 1999, Sizzle alone was worth $400m or $664m by today’s value. In 1998, Purve.com became the first female-driven pornography website. Now, women had a place where they could explore their sexuality without judgment. At the time, The New York Times called it “something of a cultural milestone.”
The print pornography market took this new form of pornography as a smack in the face, so much so that what they were publishing at the time came off as they didn’t know what to do to compete with a new, emerging market. The 1990s saw an increased awareness in alternative culture, particularly among Generation X. Among women, grunge fashion ruled and colors were dark. Matte skin with thick eyeliner or frosted blue shadow with tons of glitter and overlined lips were in, the popularity in tattoos and piercings exploded, also. For once, print pornography reflected very little of the sexual zeitgeist, even down to the body types of their models.
Runway models such as Kate Moss made “heroin chic” a household term. The look was androgynous, with emancipated features such as pale skin, dark circles underneath the eyes, and stringy, greasy hair. Occasionally, you might have come across some models with tattoos, but very few of the models portrayed in mainstream men’s magazines looked like this. Many had long, wavy hair and earth-toned makeup with a noticeable amount of blush. Body types were much like what they were in the 60s, very slim with a slight curve in the hips. In addition to using old-school poses and revealing clothes, many models showed off their curves by standing or leaning against a wall with one hip out or laying down with their hips elevated, possibly in an attempt to bring attention to the little curve they had. A model featured on all fours with her butt out or in the air was also commonly seen.
Surprisingly, as technology revolutionized the porn industry for men and women, another type of print pornography was gaining popularity again among the female demographic, that being, erotic novels. Many of which featured model and actor, Fabio Lanzoni. Like Stallone, Fabio had a darker complexion, abs you could bounce a quarter off of, and legs and arms of an all-day gym rat. The Fabio craze lasted throughout the 90s and women went wild over it. So much so that you could make the very real assumption that by this point, the mainstream media wanted to sell better porn than the porn industry did. Fabio was more theatrical in appearance and almost god-like, with his long flowing hair, glowing skin, sporting an open white dress shirt, and appearing wet in most cases–an image that was most likely carried over from a mix of print pornography and erotica.
Models in magazines that sexually favored women followed his example. Most men were pictured wearing an open shirt or vest that highlighted their abs and arms. It was also common for men to have mullets and be pictured laying down on their stomachs or backs. This pose could have become popular because, like the poses of the 70s for women, it allowed all of the men to be on display for the woman’s viewing pleasure. Playgirl, and new women’s pleasure publications such as For Women and On Our Backs, also turned up its tease factor to the nth degree.
Needless to say, the female gaze was still very focused on men’s bodies. With erotica becoming as popular as it was in the 50s, it could also be argued that the female gaze made its way into reading materials which allowed women to explore their sexuality even further on their own and these novels had the benefit of being able to do so, discreetly. Going forward, Many photos would feature a man hiding just his junk under a thinly-veiled blanket or standing up with their pants unzipped, displaying their happy trail and having their hands down their pants. As more attention on gay and lesbian rights occurred in the 90s, new audiences started to emerge. Publications targeted to the LGBT community such as Deneuve, BOYZ, Out, Girljock, and Venus became sought after by women as well.
It was a confusing time for the industry, and that was reflected in its print pornography. The industry was evolving so quickly via digital media, that existing mediums didn’t know what to do. So, based on what was published at the time, you could make the argument that when it came to women, they decided to keep things the same because women were still turned on by extreme masculinity and they knew it was still working so they didn’t want to change anything. For men, they focused on what men instinctively see as attractive. Scientifically speaking, heterosexual males are wired to be attracted to sexually mature women, meaning women with larger breasts and asses, curvy hips, and overall healthy-looking, even if they aren’t healthy in real life. It’s almost as if the print industry said, ‘Ok this online thing is a fad, we’re just going to keep on doing what we’re doing and ride it out. But they would soon learn that doing so was a big mistake.
2000- 2010: The Branding of pornography
As the online market continued to boom, big-name adult entertainment print publications were struggling to stay relevant. By the New Millennium, some companies were very well established and so they started to focus on selling their brand rather than their original product. While catering primarily to adults, Hustler and Penthouse started making clothes and amped up their game as production companies. Playboy, however, started targeting teenagers, in addition to adults. In the early 2000s, it was not uncommon to see the iconic bunny on a pillow, as a necklace, or on a pair of flip flops in Claire’s, Hot Topic, or Spencer’s. Playboy continued to push the envelope when they made a deal with “E!” television to produce ‘The Girls Next Door’ a reality show which followed the lives of Hugh Heffner’s “girlfriends” at The Playboy Mansion. Some parents were outraged by the show and merchandise, claiming that the brand was glamorizing and promoting sex work to young girls. Nevertheless, Playboy and other magazines like it, did what they could to stay afloat. Many lesser-known publications went out of business around this time, primarily due to the popularity and availability of online pornography. However, lack of brand awareness compared to more famous brands could have also been a factor in this decline.
Because of the rise of reality TV and social media, where beautiful women were consistently coming into a person’s home, the look of the 00s was to be sexy. Crop tops, low-rise jeans, and tight yoga pants were everywhere, mixed with accessories and colors from the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Hello, chunky shoes, faux fur, big earrings, and thin eyebrows, and frosted lipstick! Oh, and everything feminine, was pink. This era is also where we start to see diversity in desirable body types among men. For the most part, women were still striving to be thin, particularly due to the popularity of events such as The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and the start of social media. Celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan, Keira Knightley, Nicole Richie, Kate Bosworth, and Tara Reid, all of who were considered at the time to be too skinny, had an effect on women’s body image at large. However, curvy-skinny and hourglass figures were also becoming desired thanks to the rise of stars such as Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, and Angelina Jolie.
The female gaze was finally starting to shift at this time. While many women had put down their erotica and started focusing on more realistic sexiness, print publications felt they were still chasing the buff, bodybuilder type. By now, however, online pornography for women was becoming mainstream and thereby introducing women to different types of bodies which could have driven them to put the magazines down and explore some variety. Feminist porn was also booming. The Feminist Porn Awards started in 2006. The show celebrated some early independent and alternative, female-driven, porn. What was supposed to be a one-and-done event became so popular that the awards show would occur annually for nearly 10 years.
All of this mirrored the surviving print pornography outlets at the time. Most female and male models looked very similar– females, tan, with blonde or brown hair and highlights, which was popular at the time. Most were skinny but healthy-looking skinny and poses finally started to change again, too. Most of the time, the photo would be shot from above and the model would be laying down, completely naked, and sprawled out, guaranteeing that the viewer would see all of her. Or, a model would be sitting in front of the camera with her legs open so the focus of the photo would be on her very trimmed vagina. Most men were fair-skinned, had brown or blonde hair, had body-builder muscles, held very similar poses to women, and were still trimmed in all areas. Photos in Playgirl and magazines of the like would usually consist of fully nude body shots, facing directly into the camera. If not on full display, the man would be covering himself with his hands. Photos were also taken of the male models in a POV fashion as if the woman were on top of the model and looking at him.
This was probably seen more and more because print was desperately trying to keep up with the online market, so photographers may have been told to capture as much of the model’s body as they possibly could in an attempt to catch and retain the reader’s attention. The first decade of the New Millennium brought in some wild trends and fads. Unfortunately, it was the last decade before print pornography as a genre truly became irrelevant.
2010-today: What is pornography now?
And now, we have finally caught up with the present-day and my my, how things have changed. All publications are online regardless of what they are and as a result, the print media industry continues to lose value. Most print companies within the pornography industry have been forced to shut down, and the ones that have survived have either gone through lawsuits or have transitioned to being known as a lifestyle brand, abandoning what they were originally known for in the process.
In their last few years of business before its initial disbandment in 2015, Playgirl featured spreads with multiple men and many of the models either looked very young with, not bodybuilder
muscles, but still incredibly toned ones. We also started to see men with visible chest and arm hair. It was a toss-up whether or not the model had facial hair, but we did see it return and men tended to have either trimmed or unkempt body hair, suggesting that not all women found the same type of man sexy.
Women also picked up the books again when E.L. James’s book series, 50 Shades of Grey exploded and exposed soccer moms to lukewarm BDSM. Given that E.L. James thought of the premise through writing Twilight fanfiction, it’s no surprise that women took to it. Just as erotica novels in the past, James’s books gave women the opportunity to explore different types of sexual desires, discreetly.
In this age of social media, the desired look is perfection and is reinforced by female moguls, from The Kardashians to Instagram influencers to music stars like Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj. But as diversity becomes more and more desirable among the masses, perfection is in the eye of the beholder. As a whole though, the most desirable women seem to be of mixed race with large hips, butt, and breasts… just make sure that your waist is no larger than 26 inches, of course. Whereas in the past, it was thinner, Caucasian women who graced the pages.
Today, nude photos of women and men are still seen in magazines, though, unlike in the past, most of them have an artistic edge. Magazines such as Polanski and TheFast feature nude women but more akin to those of the 50s and 60s, with many posing with an object or having clothes on that cover their genitals. Playgirl was relaunched in 2020 with a new mission, to become a symbol of feminism. The cover of their first issue, released in October last year, featured actress Chloe Sevigny, very pregnant, with the title of the magazine covering her vaginal area and her hands-on breast with the tagline, “we’ll take it from here.” Upon Playgirl’s relaunch, The new Editor-in-Chief, Skye Parrot said in an article with The New York Post that she wanted to get away from the image Playgirl had when it was shut down in 2015 and a return to its artistic roots.
“We wanted a more honest and female gaze,” Parrott said in the article. “It seemed like a much less sexual and much more human way to look at the female body.”
To date, the magazine has been described as a feminist-artsy coffee shop book, a far cry from its original intent of sexually awakening women.
“We’re looking at female power differently. It’s the idea of entertainment for women with a broad lens, looking at sex, gender, politics, culture, art, literature, relationships–looking at all the things that make life fun,” Parrott added.
Along with that honesty came a new focus when photographing male and female models. It is now common for photos to focus on one erogenous zone, such as a woman’s lips, hips, or lower back. Men’s highlighted erogenous zones are usually their eyes, torsos, or pectoral muscles. Men are often androgynous-looking, have a toned or slim build, and are most likely facing away from the camera against an artsy-looking backdrop.
Regarding what I suppose we can now call “traditional” porn, the photos are following suit, most models are fully exposed but are in some kind of clothing, even if it’s very little. Curiously, many times what they’re wearing covers their vagina, and when it doesn’t, they are clean-shaven, as if to say that women with pubic hair are not perfect and thus should not hide it when it comes to conveying female sexuality. Men often look like marble statues, holding a pose that flexes their mussels but turned away from the camera so none of their private parts can be shown. Men are most often shown with some type of body hair, implying that it is more masculine than feminine to have body hair.
Today’s print pornography has a ‘fight the patriarchy’ vibe to it and displays this notion by using the excuse that it is now art and shouldn’t be used for sexual pleasure. However, it does make sense why certain publications have taken this route. By portraying the photos as art, they can differentiate themselves from what you could see on Pornhub, a more ‘sophisticated’ type of pornography if you will.
But in turn, emphasizing this could lead to the argument that in present time, sexual norms and desires are driven by human sexuality and human desires versus the past, when male sexuality, female sexuality, and gender-specific constructs made the ultimate determination in what was or was not sexually desirable.
Print pornography has had a hell of a timeline in the last 7 decades. From being teasingly sexual to sexually awakening, an industry evolution, and then back to artsy, and coquette sexual again, we now know that portrayals of sex and what is sexy are everchanging, just like the world around us.
